E46 front lower arm bush

[Angeleyes]

Hello all BCM's sifu,I'm a newbie here and need advise. Is it common for E46 model the front lower arm bush easy to worn out? If yes , need advise , whether to stick to original BMW arm bush or it is better to change to aftermarket arm bush? what brand is good enough for normal daily driving with reasonable price...Thank you.

 

[Mouse]

Hello all BCM's sifu,

I'm a newbie here and need advise. Is it common for E46 model the front lower arm bush easy to worn out? If yes , need advise , whether to stick to original BMW arm bush or it is better to change to aftermarket arm bush? what brand is good enough for normal daily driving with reasonable price...

Thank you.

yes, from what i understand its common, the bush will worn out about 40-60k depending on your driving style. OEM is around 320-350 (i forget its per piece or per pair). search on super pro or some other aftermarket brand u have in mind, i remember we have few thread on aftermarket brand

 

[mwtang]

mine was worn off after couple of months, change to those PU bushes...not bad..

 

[alxy]

Bushes would cost around RM300/pair. If you're unlucky (like me), have to change the whole lower arm + bushes as well. Set you back RM1,400. The 2 choices given to me was Lemforder and Meyle. Both German, and price same, so choice up to you.

 

[damontwb]

mine was worn off after couple of months, change to those PU bushes...not bad..

Yours worn off after couple of months usage?
That's really fast. What the symptoms you've experienced in this case of worn off?
I believe it's just crack i seen it before. Apperantly PU & Poly not necessary it's good when it comes with hard as it's not mean designed for AB lower arm comfortable setting. The reinforcement of harder arm bush will somehow caused lower arm spoiled faster than it suppose to be. Just 2 cent.

Price wise should be RM270 - Rm300 / pair (front) lower arm bush Lemforder in market.

 

[Bix]

I don't know if it's normal but I had to change mine after three months of using the car since purchase. I bought an original set and it didn't reach up to RM1,000. I'm not too sure but I'll check and post again. It comes in a pair so you'll have to change both anyway.

After reading the posts here, I supposed that it's a rather common downside for the E46.

 

[damontwb]

Bix , are you saying that 3 months ever since when you've got your ride till now ? : )
From the price you mentioned here RM1k should refer to lower arm , not lower arm bush right as both different items.

Correct , downside for e46 here so far i can see.

 

[Bix]

Bix , are you saying that 3 months ever since when you've got your ride till now ? : )
From the price you mentioned here RM1k should refer to lower arm , not lower arm bush right as both different items.

Correct , downside for e46 here so far i can see.

Sorry mate. My mistake for not writing it properly. I think I might wrong here. I didn't know that there's a difference between lower arm and lower arm-bush.

My story is this: After about 3 months of driving the car since the date of purchase (this happened in August 2006), I had to replace my lower arm-bush. The front left side was the injured one but I had to change both.

I have to correct my first post about the price - It cost me around RM400 for a pair and it came up to RM1k for other things. (Just checked the bill).

Cheers...

 

[damontwb]

Sure Bix no worries.

Thx for info.

 

[astroboy]

Some illustration to help the discussions..

The BUSH:

The CONTROL ARM:

The SET goes like this:

On the car (this is an E46 330i, by the way ):

Some write up found online:
The front control arm bushings have never been quite right from the factory. Reports of 48,000 km or less from the bushings are common place and dealerships charging a fortune for replacement. If that isn�t bad enough, factory bushing cannot be reused if the control arm has to be replaced because of bad ball joints, another common E46 chassis maintenance item. In addition to poor durability, the factory bushings are made of soft rubber, designed for ride comfort over performance. This leads to inconsistent suspension geometry under corner and braking loads.

The harder, more ridged properties of urethane bushings hold the front control arm in place without the slop of factory rubber. When the control arm is allowed to move, the suspension geometry changes, giving you less control. Key benefits to upgrade bushings include improved performance under braking load and sharper turn-in characteristics.

Hope this help..

 

[minivan]

Bushes would cost around RM300/pair. If you're unlucky (like me), have to change the whole lower arm + bushes as well. Set you back RM1,400. The 2 choices given to me was Lemforder and Meyle. Both German, and price same, so choice up to you.

Yeah... been there, done that myself....

 

[wooichian]

Anyone here knows where I can get a pair of readily made bushes for my E46? I checked with the local PowerFlex in KL and it seems they only provide the bushes and I will need to get other people to help for the fittings.

 

[kshapawi]

MSpeed..contact Kenny...

You will know is your bush need to change or not when you break your car..You will feel that something knocking underneath your car. And your steering also not straight...You it keep on moving to make it straight...

 

[taggnas]

MSpeed..contact Kenny...

You will know is your bush need to change or not when you break your car..You will feel that something knocking underneath your car. And your steering also not straight...You it keep on moving to make it straight...

Yep! That's exactly what I'm experiencing currently with my ride!

Time to give Kenny a call!

 

[planta]

buy the original lemforder bush.
You do not want to visit the workshop twice in 6 months time for the same reason.
The 2nd grade is of course cheaper but based on experience, owners will find it not value for money. It may be a good temporary replacement if you are planning to sell the car.

planta

 

[Impulse]

Bro Astroboy is right!
I change mine for meyle on my 325i instead of the ori lemforder for RM1400 a pair at M-speed.
The Meyle bushing is a bit harder than the ori and the advantage is that its allow you to replace all the rubber bushings and reuse back the arms and this will save you alot of money.
The only difference from the ori is that you will feel the steering wheel vibration at idle but once you get moving,you wont feel the differences.True! handling n braking is much sharper n rigid For info, this meyle arms was used on the M3 as standard equipment as quip by my mechanic.
Now,how do you know the arms been worn?Simple.
Your steering wheel feel to have play when you are driving straight.
You can also jack up the front axle and shake the wheel axially and if there is play,your
bushing gone oredi!
So go for the meyle set up instead.

Impulse

 

[yvosim5]

If you are changing,its advisable to change it to M3 one,cos I was told by mechanic no doubt M3 one is slightly more costly but it does not come with the rubber bush,its metal so dont worn out so easily and more durable.Worth it,

 

[guyfriendx]

For the sake of information for BMW friends, i just check the price ..

Lemforder - RM480/pc
Meyle - RM410/pc

Bush - 260/pair

Gonna replace mine soon.

 

[Alex5522]

Lower Arm - Vemo RM325/pc PN : 31126758519
Arm Bush only - GAP RM85/pc PN : 31126783375
Arm bush bracket can use back if condition was good in shape.

 

[KelvinTeoh]

Bro,
Where can i found PU Lower Armed Bush in penang?
How much it cost?